pmg227's review against another edition
4.0
Nel Stewart hasn't been home in years when her mother's sudden death brings her back to Michigan from Arizona. Her father's deep grief and oncoming dementia causes Nel to stay longer than she originally intended. Together, Nel and Jakob work through their present pain as well as learn to deal with their past griefs.
Using alternating story lines, Sorrells tells Jakob's story of his escape from the Jewish pogroms in the Ukraine, a story Nel never knew. We also learn Nel's story of why she left home and the significance of Jakob's hobby of the lapidary arts.
I was immediately drawn into this book because of the historical descriptions of a time and place I know little about (the Ukraine and the Jewish pogroms). The use of the lapidary arts was also an interesting addition, giving insight to the characters--their backgrounds and their interests.
From the title, I thought it was going to be a book about the song, "How Great Thou Art", but it's not; exactly. The author explains the meaning behind the title at the end, so make sure you read that. Highly recommend!
Using alternating story lines, Sorrells tells Jakob's story of his escape from the Jewish pogroms in the Ukraine, a story Nel never knew. We also learn Nel's story of why she left home and the significance of Jakob's hobby of the lapidary arts.
I was immediately drawn into this book because of the historical descriptions of a time and place I know little about (the Ukraine and the Jewish pogroms). The use of the lapidary arts was also an interesting addition, giving insight to the characters--their backgrounds and their interests.
From the title, I thought it was going to be a book about the song, "How Great Thou Art", but it's not; exactly. The author explains the meaning behind the title at the end, so make sure you read that. Highly recommend!
beckyreads2's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome book! You won't regret reading this one. It's absolutely amazing. To read my full review, go to http://agardenofdelight.blogspot.com/
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